Maungatapu fatal - driver escapes jail

Iain Crisp, the man charged with driving and drugs charges following fatal crash on Maungatapu causeway in December, has been sentenced today.

A Papamoa man who smoked cannabis within hours of the Maungatapu bridge fatal crash that killed 24-year-old Tauranga father Gregory Woledge has been sentenced to community work and supervision.

Iain Stewart Crisp, 45, was also ordered to pay reparation to his victims.

He was sentenced in Tauranga District Court today to 350 hours' community work and nine months' supervision after earlier having pleaded guilty to a raft of driving and cannabis charges.

He was also disqualified from driving for 12 months.

Judge Christopher Harding ordered Crisp to pay $38,000 emotional harm reparation, $29,000 of which will be paid into a trust account set up in the name of Mr Woledge, and $9000 to Mr Woledge's work colleague Ashley Donkersley.

Crisp earlier admitted one charge each of careless driving causing death and careless driving causing injury.

The other charges were possession of cannabis, possession of cannabis seeds, possession of a utensil for smoking cannabis, offering to supply cannabis, and making a false statement in a log book.

Crisp was also has been ordered to pay $11,000 to the driver of a third vehicle and $16,134.60 to Opus to cover the cost of repairs to the bridge.